The field of disposable absorbent articles includes a wide variety of consumer products, including diapers, bibs, wipes, sanitary napkins, tampons, etc. In some cases, the absorbent articles are packaged in a flexible package, such as a package made of film.
Flexible packages for containing absorbent articles may include opposing first and second panels. Each panel may define a top edge portion, a bottom edge portion, a left side edge portion, and a right side edge portion. The first and second panels may be joined at a first seam along left side edge portions of the first and second panels and at a second seam along right side edge portions of the first and second panels. The primary package may include a reclosable feature along a top or bottom edge portion of the package for opening and closing the packages. In some primary packages, the reclosable features may include a lid, tape tab fastener, hook and loop fastener, snap, button, or latch, for example. However, adding reclosable features to the flexible package may add cost and complexity to the manufacturing of the package.
Some flexible packages include an integrated reclosable feature, such as a hood, in the second panel of the primary package. The hood may be positioned proximate to the top or bottom edge portion of the primary package. The hood may be configured in a closed configuration and an open configuration. In the closed configuration, the hood may cover the absorbent articles contained therein. In the open configuration, the hood may be folded away from the first panel to create an opening in the package that exposes the absorbent articles contained therein. However, the first and second panels may be integrally connected in the portion of the panels opposite the hood. As such, the hood may provide the only access to the flexible package for inserting absorbent articles during the packaging process, and for removing the absorbent articles from the flexible package at the time of use by the consumer. Without using additional refastenable features, the package may not be sealed at the time of purchasing the flexible package of absorbent articles because of the opening created by the hood. Consequently, the absorbent articles may be subject to tampering or contamination before the package of absorbent articles is purchased by the consumer.
A flexible package provided with a hood is for example described in WO 2014/190102A1.
It would be beneficial to provide a reclosable flexible package which can be opened and reclosed easily and conveniently also when the package is tightly filled with compressed absorbent articles. Moreover, the flexible package should have aesthetic appearance, both when the package is in the open and closed configuration. It would also be desirable to protect the package from pre-mature opening.